U.S. patent application number 17/630631 was filed with the patent office on 2022-08-18 for connecting substrate, fabrication method, splicing screen and display apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Zhanfeng CAO, Muxin DI, Shuang LIANG, Zhiwei LIANG, Yingwei LIU, Ke WANG.
Application Number | 20220262891 17/630631 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-08-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220262891 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LIANG; Shuang ; et
al. |
August 18, 2022 |
CONNECTING SUBSTRATE, FABRICATION METHOD, SPLICING SCREEN AND
DISPLAY APPARATUS
Abstract
Disclosed are a connecting substrate and a fabrication method, a
splicing screen, and a display apparatus. The connecting substrate
has panel areas (10) and connecting areas (30) connecting every two
adjacent panel areas (10), each panel area including a display area
(20) surrounded by the connecting areas (30). The connecting
substrate includes, in connecting area: a base (101); connecting
wirings (102) on the base (101); an insulating layer (103) covering
the plurality of connecting wirings (102) and defining a groove
(106) for accommodating a display panel (107) to be spliced;
through holes (105) penetrating the insulating layer (103); and
connecting electrodes (104) respectively provided in the through
holes (105) and coupled to the connecting wirings (102) in
one-to-one correspondence. The connecting electrodes (104) are
coupled to first pads (P1) on light-emitting surface of the display
panel (107) to be spliced in one-to-one correspondence.
Inventors: |
LIANG; Shuang; (Beijing,
CN) ; DI; Muxin; (Beijing, CN) ; LIANG;
Zhiwei; (Beijing, CN) ; WANG; Ke; (Beijing,
CN) ; CAO; Zhanfeng; (Beijing, CN) ; LIU;
Yingwei; (Beijing, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD. |
Beijing |
|
CN |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
17/630631 |
Filed: |
April 29, 2021 |
PCT Filed: |
April 29, 2021 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CN2021/091003 |
371 Date: |
January 27, 2022 |
International
Class: |
H01L 27/32 20060101
H01L027/32 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 26, 2020 |
CN |
202010456460.0 |
Claims
1. A connecting substrate, having a plurality of panel areas and
connecting areas configured to connect every two adjacent panel
areas among the plurality of panel areas, each panel area
comprising a display area surrounded by the connecting areas;
wherein in each connecting area, the connecting substrate
comprises: a base; a plurality of connecting wirings on the base;
an insulating layer configured to cover the plurality of connecting
wirings and define a groove for accommodating a display panel to be
spliced; a plurality of through holes configured to penetrate the
insulating layer; and a plurality of connecting electrodes
respectively provided in the plurality of through holes and coupled
to the plurality of connecting wirings in one-to-one
correspondence; and wherein the plurality of connecting electrodes
are coupled to first pads on a light-emitting surface of the
display panel to be spliced in one-to-one correspondence.
2. The connecting substrate according to claim 1, wherein a depth
of the groove is equal to a thickness of the display panel to be
spliced.
3. The connecting substrate according to claim 1, wherein the
insulating layer comprises a polyimide layer and a silicon nitride
layer disposed in stack; and the polyimide layer is closer to the
base than the silicon nitride layer; and the groove penetrates the
silicon nitride layer and is located in the polyimide layer.
4. The connecting substrate according to claim 1, wherein a
material of the connecting electrode comprises copper.
5. The connecting substrate according to claim 1, wherein the base
comprises a flexible base.
6. The connecting substrate according to claim 1, wherein in each
connecting area, the connecting substrate comprises two columns of
connecting electrodes, one column of connecting electrodes being
electrically coupled to the first pads on the light-emitting
surface of the display panel to be spliced, and the other column of
connecting electrodes being electrically coupled to the first pads
on the light-emitting surface of another display panel to be
spliced, which is adjacent to the display panel to be spliced.
7. The connecting substrate according to claim 6, wherein in each
connecting area, the plurality of connecting wirings comprise two
columns of connecting wirings, and each of the two columns of
connecting wirings extends in a direction perpendicular to a column
direction.
8. A splicing screen, comprising the connecting substrate according
to claim 1.
9. The splicing screen according to claim 8, further comprising a
plurality of display panels; wherein each of the plurality of
display panels is located in the groove; the first pads on the
light-emitting surface of each of the plurality of display panels
are coupled to the plurality of connecting electrodes in the
connecting substrate in one-to-one correspondence; the first pads
on the light-emitting surface of each of the plurality of display
panels are electrically coupled to display devices in the display
panel; and the plurality of connecting wirings are electrically
coupled to a drive chip for driving the display panel.
10. The splicing screen according to claim 9, wherein a size of the
display panel in a first direction parallel to a front face of the
display panel is 2 to 10 times a size of the groove in the first
direction.
11. The splicing screen according to claim 9, wherein the display
panel comprises an active matrix organic light-emitting diode
display panel or a passive matrix organic light-emitting diode
display panel.
12. A display apparatus, comprising a splicing screen according to
claim 8.
13. A method for fabricating a connecting substrate that has a
plurality of panel areas and connecting areas configured to connect
every two adjacent panel areas among the plurality of panel areas,
each panel area comprising a display area surrounded by the
connecting areas, and the connecting substrate comprising, in each
connecting area: a base; a plurality of connecting wirings on the
base; an insulating layer configured to cover the plurality of
connecting wirings and define a groove for accommodating a display
panel to be spliced; a plurality of through holes configured to
penetrate the insulating layer; and a plurality of connecting
electrodes respectively provided in the plurality of through holes
and coupled to the plurality of connecting wirings in one-to-one
correspondence, wherein the plurality of connecting electrodes are
coupled to first pads on a light-emitting surface of the display
panel to be spliced in one-to-one correspondence, the method for
fabricating the connecting substrate comprising: forming a seed
layer on the base, and patterning the seed layer to form the
plurality of connecting wirings; forming the insulating layer
covering the plurality of connecting wirings, and patterning the
insulating layer to form the plurality of through holes in the
connecting area; forming the plurality of connecting electrodes in
the plurality of through holes, wherein the plurality of connecting
electrodes are coupled to the plurality of connecting wirings in
one-to-one correspondence through the plurality of through holes;
and patterning the insulating layer to form the groove in the
display area.
14. The method for fabricating the connecting substrate according
to claim 13, wherein the forming the insulating layer covering the
plurality of connecting wirings comprises: forming a polyimide
layer on the plurality of connecting wirings; and forming a silicon
nitride layer on the polyimide layer.
15. The method for fabricating the connecting substrate according
to claim 14, wherein the patterning the insulating layer to form
the plurality of through holes in the connecting area comprises:
patterning the silicon nitride layer to form a plurality of etching
holes; and processing the polyimide layer through oxygen ashing
process by using the patterned silicon nitride layer as a mask to
form the plurality of through holes in the connecting area.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority from Chinese patent
application No. 202010456460.0 filed on May 26, 2020, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of display
technology, and specifically relates to a connecting substrate and
a fabrication method, a splicing screen, and a display
apparatus.
BACKGROUND
[0003] With the continuous development of the display technology,
indoor larger display panels have been widely used. Nowadays, in
order for display on a larger display panel, a plurality of smaller
display panels are generally spliced to form a larger splicing
screen.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a connecting
substrate having a plurality of panel areas and connecting areas
configured to connect every two adjacent panel areas among the
plurality of panel areas, each panel area including a display area
surrounded by the connecting areas. The connecting substrate
includes, in each connecting area: a base; a plurality of
connecting wirings on the base; an insulating layer configured to
cover the plurality of connecting wirings and define a groove for
accommodating a display panel to be spliced; a plurality of through
holes configured to penetrate the insulating layer; and a plurality
of connecting electrodes respectively provided in the plurality of
through holes and coupled to the plurality of connecting wirings in
one-to-one correspondence. The plurality of connecting electrodes
are coupled to first pads on a light-emitting surface of the
display panel to be spliced in one-to-one correspondence.
[0005] In an embodiment, a depth of the groove is equal to a
thickness of the display panel to be spliced.
[0006] In an embodiment, the insulating layer includes a polyimide
layer and a silicon nitride layer disposed in stack;
[0007] the polyimide layer is closer to the base than the silicon
nitride layer; and the groove penetrates the silicon nitride layer
and is in the polyimide layer.
[0008] In an embodiment, a material of the connecting electrode
includes copper.
[0009] In an embodiment, the base includes a flexible base.
[0010] In an embodiment, in each connecting area, the connecting
substrate includes two columns of connecting electrodes, one column
of connecting electrodes are electrically coupled to the first pads
on the light-emitting surface of the display panel to be spliced,
and the other column of connecting electrodes are electrically
coupled to first pads on a light-emitting surface of a further
display panel to be spliced, which is adjacent to the display panel
to be spliced.
[0011] In an embodiment, in each connecting area, the plurality of
connecting wirings include two columns of connecting wirings, and
each of the two columns of connecting wirings extends in a
direction perpendicular to a column direction.
[0012] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a
splicing screen, including a connecting substrate according to any
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0013] In an embodiment, the splicing screen further includes a
plurality of display panels; where each of the plurality of display
panels is located in the groove; first pads on a light-emitting
surface of each of the plurality of display panels are coupled to
the plurality of connecting electrodes in the connecting substrate
in one-to-one correspondence; the first pads on the light-emitting
surface of each of the plurality of display panels are electrically
coupled to display devices in the display panel; and the plurality
of connecting wirings are electrically coupled to a drive chip for
driving the display panel.
[0014] In an embodiment, a size of the display panel in a first
direction parallel to a front face of the display panel is 2 to 10
times a size of the groove in the first direction.
[0015] In an embodiment, the display panel includes an active
matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel or a passive
matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel.
[0016] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a display
device, including a splicing screen according to any embodiment of
the present disclosure.
[0017] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method
for fabricating a connecting substrate that has a plurality of
panel areas and connecting areas configured to connect every two
adjacent panel areas among the plurality of panel areas, each panel
area including a display area surrounded by the connecting areas,
and the connecting substrate including, in each connecting area: a
base; a plurality of connecting wirings on the base; an insulating
layer configured to cover the plurality of connecting wirings and
define a groove for accommodating a display panel to be spliced; a
plurality of through holes configured to penetrate the insulating
layer; and a plurality of connecting electrodes respectively
provided in the plurality of through holes and coupled to the
plurality of connecting wirings in one-to-one correspondence,
wherein the connecting electrodes are coupled to first pads on a
light-emitting surface of the display panel to be spliced in
one-to-one correspondence, the method for fabricating a connecting
substrate including:
[0018] forming a seed layer on the base, and patterning the seed
layer to form the plurality of connecting wirings;
[0019] forming the insulating layer covering the plurality of
connecting wirings, and patterning the insulating layer to form the
plurality of through holes in the connecting area;
[0020] forming the plurality of connecting electrodes in the
plurality of through holes, wherein the plurality of connecting
electrodes are coupled to the plurality of connecting wirings in
one-to-one correspondence through the plurality of through holes;
and
[0021] patterning the insulating layer to form the groove in the
display area.
[0022] In an embodiment, the forming the insulating layer covering
the plurality of connecting wirings includes:
[0023] forming a polyimide layer on the plurality of connecting
wirings; and
[0024] forming a silicon nitride layer on the polyimide layer.
[0025] In an embodiment, the patterning the insulating layer to
form the plurality of through holes in the connecting area
includes:
[0026] patterning the silicon nitride layer to form a plurality of
etching holes; and
[0027] processing the polyimide layer through oxygen ashing process
by using the patterned silicon nitride layer as a mask to form the
plurality of through holes in the connecting area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of
a connecting substrate according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a partial planar
structure of a connecting substrate according to an embodiment of
the present disclosure;
[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a partial sectional
structure of a connecting substrate according to an embodiment of
the present disclosure;
[0031] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a splicing
screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a method for fabricating
a connecting substrate according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0033] FIG. 6a is a schematic structural diagram corresponding to
step S501 in a method for fabricating a connecting substrate
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0034] FIG. 6b is a schematic structural diagram corresponding to
step S502 in a method for fabricating a connecting substrate
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0035] FIG. 6c is a schematic structural diagram corresponding to
step S503 in a method for fabricating a connecting substrate
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0036] FIGS. 6d, 6e and 6f are schematic structural diagrams
corresponding to step S504 in a method for fabricating a connecting
substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
and
[0037] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a partial sectional
structure of a connecting substrate according to an embodiment of
the present disclosure.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0038] To improve understanding of the technical solution of the
present disclosure for those skilled in the art, the present
disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to
accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0039] There are at least the following problems in the
conventional art: during the process of splicing a plurality of
smaller display panels, generally no connecting structure is
adopted and a certain space needs to be reserved between adjacent
smaller display panels for a signal wiring, leading to a relatively
large spacing between the adjacent smaller display panels, which
may easily cause dark fringes at the spliced position, reduce the
display effect of the spliced large-size splicing screen, and thus
affect the user experience.
[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of
a connecting substrate according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure. In an embodiment, the connecting substrate is
configured to splice a plurality of display panels to form a larger
display panel. As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting substrate has a
plurality of panel areas 10. Each panel area 10 includes a display
area 20 and a connecting area 30 around the display area 20. FIG. 2
is a schematic diagram showing a partial planar structure of a
connecting substrate according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure; and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a partial
sectional structure of a connecting substrate according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
the connecting substrate includes: a base 101, a plurality of
connecting wirings 102, an insulating layer 103, and a plurality of
connecting electrodes 104. The plurality of connecting wirings 102
are disposed on the base 101 and located in the connecting areas
30. The insulating layer 103 covers the plurality of connecting
wirings 102 and is provided with a plurality of through holes 105
and a plurality of grooves 106. The plurality of through holes 105
are located in the connecting areas 30, and the grooves 106 are
located in the panel areas 10. In an embodiment, referring to FIG.
2, each connecting area 30 may be provided with two columns of
connecting electrodes 104, one column of connecting electrodes 104
are electrically coupled to display panels 107 (e.g., via first
pads P1) on a display area 20, and the other column of connecting
electrodes 104 are electrically coupled to display panels 107
(e.g., via first pads P1) on another display area 20, which is
adjacent to the above display area 20. In an embodiment, each
connecting area may be provided with two columns of connecting
wirings 102, each of which extends in a first direction D1 parallel
to the surface of the base 101, and each column of connecting
wirings 102 are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to
the first direction D1.
[0041] In an embodiment, the connecting electrodes 104 are disposed
in the through holes 105, and the connecting electrodes 104 pass
through the through holes 105 to be coupled to the connecting
wirings 102 in one-to-one correspondence.
[0042] In an embodiment, the connecting electrodes 104 are coupled
to first pads P1 on a light-emitting surface (i.e., a front face)
of a display panel to be spliced in one-to-one correspondence.
[0043] In an embodiment, the first pads P1 are electrically coupled
to display devices in the display area 20.
[0044] In the connecting substrate provided by the embodiment of
the present disclosure, each display panel 107 to be spliced (see
FIG. 7) may be placed in the panel area 10 of the connecting
substrate, and adjacent display panels 107 may be spliced through
the connecting substrate to form a splicing screen of a larger
area, thereby implementing display in a larger area. In an
embodiment, a drive chip may be disposed on a back face of the
display panel 107. In an embodiment, the drive chip may be disposed
between the connecting wiring 102 and the display panel 107, and
electrically coupled to the connecting wiring 102. In this way, the
drive chip may be electrically coupled to the display device in the
display panel 107 via the connecting wiring 102, the connecting
electrode 104, and the first pad P1, to drive the display device in
the display panel to display.
[0045] During the splicing process, the display panel may be
fixedly supported by the groove 106 formed on the insulating layer
103, and the first pads P1 on the front face of the display panel
107 may be electrically coupled to the connecting electrodes 104 by
means of spot soldering or lead connection. In an embodiment, the
display panel 107 may extend beyond the groove 106 in the first
direction D1 parallel to the front face of the display panel. In
other words, a size of the display panel in the first direction D1
is greater than a size of the groove 106 in the first direction D1.
In an embodiment, the size of the display panel 107 in the first
direction D1 is 2 to 10 times the size of the groove 106 in the
first direction D1. In this way, a space for accommodating the
drive chip may be formed below the display panel 107.
[0046] In an embodiment, the drive chip in communication with the
display panel is electrically coupled to the first pads P1 on the
display panel 107, and since the first pads P1 on the display panel
107 are coupled to the connecting wirings 102 via the connecting
electrodes 104, the drive chip for the display panel 107 may be
disposed above the connecting wirings 102 without being disposed at
a peripheral area (i.e., a fan-out area) of the display panel,
thereby reducing a bezel size of the display panel 107. As a
result, the gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing
screen is reduced.
[0047] Furthermore, the connecting wirings 102 and the connecting
electrodes 104 in the connecting substrate may be coupled to signal
lines in the display panels, so that there is no need to reserve a
large space for the signal line between adjacent display panels,
and the gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing screen
may be further reduced. In practical applications, a distance
between adjacent display panels may be controlled by controlling a
distance between adjacent connecting electrodes 104. As a result,
the gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing screen is
reduced, and finally small-gap or seamless splicing is achieved,
which can reduce dark fringes at the splicing position of adjacent
display panels, and thus improve the display effect.
[0048] It will be appreciated that the groove 106 formed on the
insulating layer 103 of the connecting substrate may only fixedly
support an edge of the display panel to be spliced, without
supporting the entire back face of the display panel. During the
fabrication process, the base 101 may be disposed only in all the
connecting areas 30 and a portion of the display area near the
spliced position, and another film layer or structure (e.g., a
drive chip) may be formed on the base 101 to implement splicing of
the display panel, which can save the fabricating raw materials and
cost. In an embodiment, the groove 106 formed may have an area
substantially the same as the fan-out area of the display panel to
be spliced. The connecting wiring 102 may be electrically coupled
to the drive chip via a signal line, and since the drive chip has a
relatively high power, two or more flexible circuit boards may be
used for connecting the drive chip to the display panel.
[0049] In some embodiments, a depth of the groove 106 is equal to a
thickness of the display panel to be spliced.
[0050] It should be noted that the depth of the groove 106 may be
equal to the thickness of the display panel to be spliced so that
the display panel to be spliced may be just placed in a space
formed by the groove 106. Meanwhile, it can ensure that the
light-emitting surfaces of adjacent display panels to be spliced
are in the same plane so that the formed splicing screen has a
relatively smooth surface, and the display effect is improved.
[0051] In some embodiments, the insulating layer 103 includes a
polyimide layer 1031 and a silicon nitride layer 1032 disposed in
stack. The polyimide layer 1031 is closer to the base 101 than the
silicon nitride layer 1032. The groove 106 penetrates the silicon
nitride layer 1032 and is located in the polyimide layer 1031. In
other words, the depth of the groove 106 is greater than a
thickness of the silicon nitride layer 1032 and smaller than a
thickness of the insulating layer 103 (that is, smaller than a sum
of the thickness of the polyimide layer 1031 and the thickness the
silicon nitride layer 1032). In an embodiment, the polyimide layer
1031 is made of a polyimide material, and the silicon nitride layer
1032 is made of a silicon nitride material.
[0052] It should be noted that the insulating layer 103 in the
connecting substrate provided in the embodiment of the present
disclosure may be formed by a multilayer structure, such as the
polyimide layer 1031 and the silicon nitride layer 1032 disposed in
stack. The polyimide layer 1031 is thicker than the silicon nitride
layer 1032. The polyimide layer 1031, with better insulation
properties and flexibility, can have a better insulation effect
between the connecting wiring 102 and other signal lines in the
display panel to be spliced, and the groove 106 formed thereon can
provide good fixed support for the display panel to be spliced,
while benefit to forming a flexible connecting substrate and
realizing flexible splicing of the display panels. The silicon
nitride layer 1032 has stable performance, and can well protect the
covered polyimide layer 1031 during the whole fabrication process
of the insulating layer 103, thereby forming an insulating layer
103 with a desired thickness. It will be appreciated that the
insulating layer 103 may also be provided as a single layer
structure having only one material, or a multilayer structure
having various materials; the functions and implementation
principles are similar and will not be repeated here.
[0053] In some embodiments, a material of the connecting electrode
104 includes copper.
[0054] It should be noted that the connecting electrode 104 may be
formed by vapor deposition of copper on the seed layer. Due to the
good electrical conductivity and low fabrication cost of copper,
the use of the copper electrode may save the fabrication cost. It
will be appreciated that the connecting electrode 104 may also be
made of other metal materials or metal oxide materials with good
electrical conductivity, which are not enumerated here.
[0055] In some embodiments, the base 101 includes a flexible
base.
[0056] It should be noted that the base 101 may be made of a
flexible material such as polyimide, so that a flexible connecting
substrate and thus flexible connection of the display panels are
achieved. It will be appreciated that the base 101 may also be made
of a rigid material such as glass, which may improve strength of
the connecting substrate, while reducing the fabrication cost of
the connecting substrate since the cost of the glass base is lower.
In practical applications, the material of the base 101 may be
selected according to practical requirements, and will not be
described in detail herein.
[0057] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a splicing
screen. FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a splicing
screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As
shown in FIG. 4, the splicing screen includes a connecting
substrate as provided in any one of the above embodiments. The
splicing screen further includes: a plurality of display panels 107
arranged in a matrix. First pads P1 on a light-emitting surface
(i.e., a front face) of each display panel are coupled to
connecting electrodes 104 in the connecting substrate in one-to-one
correspondence.
[0058] It should be noted that a drive chip is disposed on a back
face of the display panel, first pads P1 coupled to a display
device may be provided on the front face of the display panel 107,
and the drive chip is used to provide a drive signal for the
display device for display. In practical applications, the display
panel 107 may be fixedly supported by a groove 106 formed on an
insulating layer 103, and the first pads P1 on the front face of
the display panel 107 may be electrically coupled to the connecting
electrodes 104 by means of spot soldering or lead connection. Since
the connecting electrodes 104 and the connecting wirings 102 are
coupled in one-to-one correspondence through the through holes 105,
the drive chip on the back face of the display panel 107 may be
coupled to the first pads P1 on the front face of the display panel
107 in one-to-one correspondence by the connecting wirings 102 and
the connecting electrodes 104 in the connecting substrate. As a
result, there is no need for each display panel to reserve a
fan-out area with a large area for bonding the display panel with
the drive chip, thereby reducing a bezel of each display panel, and
thus reducing a gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing
screen. Furthermore, the connecting wirings 102 and the connecting
electrodes 104 in the connecting substrate may be coupled to signal
lines in the display panels so that there is no need to reserve a
large space for the signal line between adjacent display panels,
and the gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing screen
may be further reduced. In practical applications, a distance
between adjacent display panels may be controlled by controlling a
distance between adjacent connecting electrodes 104. As a result,
the gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing screen is
reduced, and finally small-gap or seamless splicing is achieved,
which can reduce dark fringes at the splicing position of adjacent
display panels, and thus improve the display effect.
[0059] In some embodiments, the display panel 107 includes an
active matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel or a
passive matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel.
[0060] It should be noted that the display panel 107 may be an
active matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel or a
passive matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel. In this
way, the splicing screen provided by the embodiments of the present
disclosure may be a splicing screen formed by splicing an active
matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel with an active
matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel, or a splicing
screen formed by splicing an active matrix organic light-emitting
diode display panel with a passive matrix organic light-emitting
diode display panel, or a splicing screen formed by splicing a
passive matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel with a
passive matrix organic light-emitting diode display panel. In
practical applications, the type of the display panel 107 may be
selected according to practical requirements, and will not be
described in detail herein.
[0061] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the
present disclosure provides a display apparatus, including a
splicing screen as provided in any of the above embodiments. The
display apparatus may be applied to various scenarios such as
conference rooms, movie theaters, multifunctional rooms or other
indoor scenarios that need large-screen display. The implementation
principles of the display apparatus are similar to those of the
splicing screen and the connecting substrate provided in the above
embodiments, and will not be described in detail herein.
[0062] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method
for fabricating a connecting substrate. FIG. 5 is a schematic
flowchart of a method for fabricating a connecting substrate
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The
connecting substrate has a plurality of panel areas each including
a display area and a connecting area around the display area. As
shown in FIG. 5, the method for fabricating a connecting substrate
includes the following steps S501 to S504.
[0063] Step S501 includes forming a seed layer on the base, and
patterning the seed layer to form a plurality of connecting wirings
located on the base and in the connecting area.
[0064] It should be noted that, as shown in FIG. 6a, a metal layer
may be deposited on the base to form a full seed layer. The
plurality of connecting wirings may be formed in the connecting
area by etching the full seed layer according to the number and
width of the connecting wirings.
[0065] Step S502 includes forming an insulating layer covering the
plurality of connecting wirings, and patterning the insulating
layer to form a plurality of through holes in the connecting
area.
[0066] As shown in FIG. 6b, an insulating layer, which may be a
double-layer structure, may be formed on the plurality of
connecting wirings. In an embodiment, the method may include the
following steps S5021 to S5022. Step S5021 includes coating on the
connecting wirings to form a polyimide layer. Step S5022 includes
forming a silicon nitride layer on the polyimide layer. Thereafter,
the double-layer insulating layer formed by the polyimide layer and
the silicon nitride layer are patterned. For example, step S502 may
include the following steps S5023 to S5024. Step S5023 includes
patterning the silicon nitride layer to form a plurality of etching
holes in the connection area. Step S5024 includes processing the
polyimide layer through oxygen ashing process by using the
patterned silicon nitride layer as a mask to form a plurality of
through holes in the connecting area. The silicon nitride layer has
stable performance, and the patterned silicon nitride layer may be
used as a mask for the polyimide layer to shield the polyimide
layer so that through holes are formed at preset positions.
[0067] Step S503 includes forming connecting electrodes in the
through holes, the connecting electrodes being coupled to the
connecting wirings in one-to-one correspondence through the through
holes.
[0068] It should be noted that, as shown in FIG. 6c, copper may be
injected into the through holes by electroplating, to form copper
electrodes, i.e., connecting electrodes, in the through holes, and
to make the connecting electrodes and the connecting wirings be
coupled in one-to-one correspondence through the through holes.
[0069] Step S504 includes patterning the insulating layer to form
grooves in the display area.
[0070] It should be noted that, as shown in FIGS. 6d, 6e and 6f,
the connecting electrodes may be shielded by a photoresist. The
silicon nitride layer in the display area is firstly etched to
expose the polyimide layer, and then the polyimide layer is
subjected to oxygen ashing so that the grooves are formed in the
polyimide layer. Finally, the photoresist covering the connecting
electrodes is removed, and an oxide layer of the connecting
electrodes is cleaned with an acid solution, thereby forming the
connecting substrate.
[0071] In the connecting substrate formed by the fabrication method
provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the display
panel to be spliced may be fixedly supported by the groove formed
on the insulating layer, and since the first pads on the display
panel are coupled to the connecting wirings via the connecting
electrodes, the drive chip for the display panel may be disposed
above the connecting wirings without being disposed at a peripheral
area (i.e., a fan-out area) of the display panel, thereby reducing
a bezel size of the display panel. As a result, the gap between
adjacent display panels in the splicing screen is reduced.
[0072] Furthermore, the connecting wirings and the connecting
electrodes in the connecting substrate may be coupled to signal
lines in the display panels so that there is no need to reserve a
large space for the signal line between adjacent display panels,
and the gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing screen
may be further reduced. In practical applications, a distance
between adjacent display panels may be controlled by controlling a
distance between adjacent connecting electrodes. As a result, the
gap between adjacent display panels in the splicing screen is
reduced, and finally small-gap or seamless splicing is achieved,
which can reduce dark fringes at the splicing position of adjacent
display panels, and thus improve the display effect.
[0073] It will be appreciated that the above implementations are
merely exemplary implementations for the purpose of illustrating
the principle of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure
is not limited thereto. Various modifications and improvements can
be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art without
departing from the spirit and essence of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, all of the modifications and improvements also fall
into the protection scope of the present disclosure.
* * * * *